Slayers: Chaos Ascendant Sequel to Tides of Chaos
by Eveshka
Summary: The Sequel to Tides of Chaos and final in the Chaos Trilogy. As the balance falters once again, Lina is called upon to make the ultimate choice. When her nightmares become frighteningly close to reality, there will be only one way to turn...
1. Chaos Ascendant Prologue

**Chaos Ascendant**   
**Prologue**

The redhead stood in the center of the room, looking out across the stone floor towards where her employer had been standing. The reality of what she had been told was coming to sudden focus, and words from another time and place echoed in her mind, words spoken by a voice that had been silent to her for more than two years.   
**_ There will come a time when I will be needed to act in a capacity that cannot be done without the sacrifice of a human soul._**   
She shuddered. She'd thought it had passed. She'd thought that time had come and gone.   
She'd been horribly, horribly wrong. 

Crimson eyes filled with tears, the mortal soul within her raging with anger and despair. But the mortal soul also knew that nothing could be done. The choices had been made willingly.   
A moment passed, and the emotions fled the figure standing in the hall, yet the tears flowed on. And with those tears shimmering on her cheeks, the redhead placed her hands together and began to focus her power, calling the words of an ancient spell with a vacant voice.   
It was time, Shabranigdo had said.   
Red brilliance flowed over the figure, transforming her from a sedate sorceress into an imposing figure dressed in liquid red armor. A brilliant flame caught in her eyes, burning all trace of mortality away, and the Knight of Shabranigdo turned on her heel and left the room.   



	2. Chaos Ascendant 1

**Chaos Ascendant**

**Chapter One**

            Lina Inverse was loving life. She'd managed to get back to that 'All you can eat for a Silver Piece' restaurant, and was making good on the deal. She still had a few months before she could go check on the Dragon Cuisine that Ashford was cooking for her, but that was okay. She could deal with that. She'd been all over the world, giving more credentials to the theory that Lina Inverse was everywhere. She'd been in and out of the Barrier cities, watched as Amelia and Zelgadis had parted ways, gone flying over Mipross and watched as Gourry became reacquainted with his family, snuck a visit to Saillune and seen Amelia was at home… She'd kept quiet track of them over the years, and they were all, more or less, happy. Therefore, she was happy.

            The owner of the restaurant, however, was not happy, nor was he dealing well with Lina. He'd been out six times in the past fifteen minutes, asking her if she'd possibly had enough. Each time, Lina had sent him back into the kitchen with a request for more food.

            She was just finishing another plate of food when the manager fell to his knees beside her, hands raised in supplication. "Please… I'll give you your silver back. Just… go away." He opened his hands to reveal her silver coin.

            Now, Lina wasn't an idiot. And while she wasn't necessarily evil, she had a high set of morals. And included in those morals was to never pass up a free meal. So, mostly fed and feeling magnanimous, she stood up, happily plucked the coin from the owner's hands, and bounced out of the restaurant.

            Stomach full and coin back in purse, she paused in the street to look around. "Hm… It's quiet around here…"

            Long ago, Lina had discovered that quiet didn't necessarily mean good, and her magic senses were confirming this. Something was going on, and it was enough to get her attention. Someone nearby was casting a spell… and she knew the caster. In fact… she gave it a half a thought, and the world around her twisted insanely.

            When the spell dispersed, the target was annihilated. The caster scowled in irritation as he looked at the scorch marks in the ground. He hadn't cast the spell that strongly. All he'd wanted to do was scare the guy into revealing the location of his current employer's stolen property. Now he'd have to find a new lead and start all over. But why had his magic been amplified so?

            There was a sudden sound behind him, and he spun, firing off another fireball, only realizing who had walked up behind him after the sphere of deadly fire had left his hands. Before he had a chance to hope that it wouldn't do the same type of damage to the arrival as it had to his slightly unintended victim, the fireball simply fizzled in a manner most reminiscent of Sylphiel's spells.

            "Man, Zel… do you always fireball first and ask questions later?" Lina smirked, waving the remnants of the spell out of the air with her hand.

            "You're one to talk, popping in and out like Xellos," he shot back, folding his arms and looking at her. She'd gone back to her old pink and black outfit, he noticed, most likely to differentiate herself a bit from her elder almost-mirror-image Kira Inverse. In fact… at first look, Lina didn't seem a bit different than he'd seen her last… and it had been over two years since he'd seen her.

            She reached up and tossed her hair with her hand, an old gesture that he'd learned was simply a habit, and didn't mean anything. Once, a long time ago, he'd thought perhaps that she was trying to make herself seem attractive to him. But then he'd met Martina, who'd fawned on everything male, including Xellos and, amusingly enough, Hellmaster. "Yeah, well… I haven't had to fireball anyone in ages, and at least I don't pop in right beside you like that fruitcake." she said airily.

            "Lina…" he started, thinking it over. "Have you noticed anything strange around here? Like magic being amplified by something?" He hadn't even noticed that she was still talking about how good she'd been lately, ticking a list off on her fingers of things that she could have done, but hadn't.

            "Er…? Amplified?" Lina paused in her iteration of wholesomeness and blinked. "Um…" Her eyes flickered for a moment, flecks of gold shooting through the crimson before fading back into the crimson as she cast her mind about for magical trails, impressions and various other things that she as the Chaos Knight would be able to sense.

            Zelgadis shivered slightly, wondering just how much Lina had changed in the past two years. Indeed, now that he really looked at her, he saw some subtle differences. Her stance was slightly different, more secure. The sword that had always been at her waist was gone, and the metal surrounding the Talismans was golden now. He opened his mind to look at the magical aura that surrounded her, and for a moment, became mind-blinded by the golden glow of Chaos. Oh yes, Lina had most definitely grown into being the Chaos Knight. He absently wondered what she was capable of if she gave it more than half a thought. Shaking his head as he re-raised the mental barrier, he cleared his vision of the swirls and eddies of Chaos.

            She shrugged, looking back at him, aware that he'd looked at her aura. He hadn't reacted except to shake his head slightly, so she figured he hadn't gotten hurt. "I don't sense anything strange, Zelgadis. Well… that is…" She tilted her head and looked behind the chimera. "Nothing except that shadow right there. It's not what your average person would call… normal."

            Zelgadis spun to see a dark shadow standing before him, as tangible and real as Lina herself. Instinctively, he put his hand on the hilt of his sword, but as something began to emerge from the shadow, he stepped back in surprise. Lina's hand suddenly resting on his shoulder stayed any further action.

            The figure that stepped out of the shadow was a familiar one, and both he and Lina blinked in surprise. "Anya! Zel… its Kira's companion! Anya, what is it?"

            Shades weren't known for speech, and Anya was certainly no exception. When she opened her mouth, only because Zelgadis was a chimera and Lina was the Chaos Knight did they actually catch the word that the Shade whispered: Danger.

            "Danger? Who is in danger? Anya, tell me!" Lina said, stepping in front of Zelgadis. "Is Kira in trouble?"

            The Shade withdrew on herself, and Zelgadis felt a chill settle onto his stone skin. Shades couldn't travel, as far as he knew. Not without a lot of power backing them up. And Shades were fed by Chaos or Black Magic. Lina had said that she hadn't felt anything… but his black magic spell had been amplified, and now Anya had sought them out with a warning of danger. "Lina… it has to be Kira. That's the only thing that makes sense. The Black Magic seems stronger, as if…"

            Zelgadis' voice broke off as Anya suddenly vanished, slipping into the shadow and pulling it in after her, as if she were frightened by something. Lina spun around, and grabbed Zelgadis with the amplified strength of the Chaos Knight, moving him behind her before he could even realize what it was that she had done. Crimson eyes shimmering with gold locked with crimson eyes filled with a cold fire, and the word fell into the silence. "Kira."


	3. Chaos Ascendant 2

Chaos Ascendant 

**Chapter Two**

            Birds ruffled in the trees above as the pair on horseback rode through the woods. The young woman was animatedly talking to the older man, brightly chattering away about this and that, generally keeping a one-sided conversation with the raven-haired man who didn't seem to truly be paying attention, yet nodded absently at the dark-haired woman as they rode along.

            Her voice came to a halt, however, when the man reigned in his horse and held up his hand. Blue eyes narrowed, and he called out to the trees. "There's someone there. Show yourself."

            Suddenly, two men leapt out of the bushes, pulled out swords and attacked the pair on horseback. The woman screamed and brought her hands up for a spell, but before she could do anything for defense, a third man leapt into the fray with his sword drawn, attacking the men who had ambushed her and her companion.

            The skirmish was over before she could inhale to scream again, and she watched in amazement as the man who had come to the defense of the horseback riders expertly trussed both attackers up.

            She watched, unable to catch a glimpse of his face, so she waited to find out who he was. When he finished with his work and stood, the woman called out to him. "You there, what is your name?"

            The blonde man turned around, and the woman recognized him with a startled squeak, nearly falling off of her horse in shock. "Mister Gourry!!!" She hadn't seen him in two years. But that wasn't why she hadn't recognized him. He was… different. Somehow. And it wasn't the fact that he was in even better shape than she'd seen him last. It was something… else.

            Blue eyes blinked, and one or two thoughts actually connected, and a light came on over the blonde's head. "Amelia!" He paused, realizing the man was her father, and the lightbulb turned into a question mark. "And Prince Phil! What are you two doing out here?"

            Princess Amelia Wil Tesla Saillune put her hands on her hips and looked at Gourry. "I'd ask the same of you, Mister Gourry. My father and I were out riding the Royal Grounds when we were attacked."

            Prince Philionel looked down at the blonde lad who had worked with him and his daughter before. He recalled that this one hadn't much in the way of common sense, let alone intelligence, and had a sneaking suspicion that the youth had no idea where he was. "Where are you sleeping, young man?"

            Gourry waved off beyond the trees, deeper into the Royal Palace of Saillune's forests. "Oh, my camp is over there. I'm just traveling again."

            Amelia did fall off of her horse this time, narrowly avoiding a face-first landing. She'd been working on that... "Mister Gourry… you're camping on Saillune's Royal Grounds!"

            Gourry put a hand to his chin and scratched his head. "I wondered what that really high wall was. I guess I didn't need to have climbed it after all…"

            This time, when the ground shook, it was because Prince Phil had fallen off of his horse.

            Hours later, the trio sat at a lavish table that had been covered with food. But with the three having eaten their fill, there was hardly any food left.

            "So!" Prince Phil said, setting his goblet down on the table with a thunk. "What brings you to Saillune, Gourry?"

            Gourry thought about it for a moment. Then he thought about it some more. After a few more minutes of thought, Amelia sighed and leaned forwards. "Mister Gourry… what were you doing in the forest?"

            "Oh! I've been traveling all over looking for Lina," Gourry said brightly. That part he remembered. He had been looking for her all over the place… but he hadn't found her yet.

            Amelia nodded quietly. None of them had seen her since that day at Kira's when she'd vanished into the evening without even a goodbye. It had stung for a few months, but Amelia had gradually come to the realization that Lina was probably terrible at goodbyes. She'd occasionally thought she'd sensed Lina's presence, but she wasn't sure that wasn't simple desire to be out on the road with her old friends once more. She missed them all… especially Zelgadis… she forced that particular train of thought to a halt and looked to Gourry. "So you think she's somewhere nearby, Mister Gourry?"

            Gourry shrugged. "I saw her in a dream almost two years ago. She told me that she was sorry that she'd had to leave like that, but that she had to figure a few things out about being the Chaos Knight." He paused to drink some of his water. "She told me that she'd come to Mipross for me, but I said I'd catch up to her first, and she seemed to like that. So when I woke up, I said goodbye to my family, and left the island. I just started walking in one direction, and I'll keep going that way until I find her." The logic was clear to him.

            Amelia put her head on the table for a moment, working through the fact that Gourry had been on Mipross before looking back up at the blonde. "Mister Gourry… it may not work just like that. I mean, what happens if she's not going in the same direction as you?"

            Gourry smiled. "Then she'll be heading right towards me!"

            Amelia shrank in her chair. "Not necessarily, Mister Gourry. She could be headed in a completely different direction! What if she turns around? After all, you've been looking for almost two years now?"

            Gourry thought about it for a moment. "But I'm carrying a really big gemstone. I figured if I had that, she'd find me easily!"

            Amelia nodded. He had a point there… except… "Have you told anyone that you have this?"

            He shook his head emphatically. "No way! If people knew that I had a big gemstone, people would come after me for it. And then Lina wouldn't get it from me. She'd have to go blast someone and cause more trouble."

            Prince Philionel sighed heavily, bushy eyebrows bunching together as he looked to the blonde swordsman. "Then how would Lina Inverse know you have it, Gourry?"

            Gourry blinked. "Gosh… I don't know. I just figured she'd know… Oh gee… that would explain why I haven't found her in all the time I've been looking for her. I've got to go tell someone that I have this!" He leapt from the table and headed out of the Royal Palace, leaving Prince Phil and Amelia staring after him.

            "Gourry means well, Daddy… but I'm worried that something will go wrong," Amelia started. "I mean… we both know how trouble seems to follow Gourry and Lina… and with that gemstone…"

            "I'm glad that you came home for a visit, Amelia, but you'd better go with him then," Prince Phil concluded. "That way, you can keep Gourry out of trouble, and at the same time help him find Lina."

            Amelia jumped onto the table, striking a pose. "I, Amelia Wil Tesla Saillune, champion of Love and Justice, will go forth and guide Mister Gourry with the hand of friendship!" Leaping off the table, she paused long enough to blow her father a kiss, then she darted out of the Palace after Gourry.


	4. Chaos Ascendant 3

Chaos Ascendant

Chapter Three

            There was something decidedly wrong. Standing there, looking at Kira Inverse, Lina Inverse could feel all the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. And when the elder Inverse didn't reply to the query, Lina Inverse tried again. "Kira?"

            The woman spoke, but it was not Kira's voice that issued forth from lips that mirrored Lina's own. The voice was cold, yet laced with the silken lure and power that could turn lesser minded people into mindless followers of whatever cause she happened to mention. "It is time, Chaos Knight. No longer will this world bow to the hand of the Other."

            Lina stared at Kira. "What? What are you talking about?"

            "Cepheid's pulse grows weaker, Chaos Knight. The bid for power begins."

            And before Lina or Zelgadis could ask for clarification, the apparition before them had vanished.

            Lina stared at the space where her double had been, slowly digesting the words, starting to pace back and forth as she contemplated. "Oh no… Shabranigdo's trying again. Only this time… this time, he intends to win. Something's wrong… I have to find Luna! The Tide was low… there should have been a lull… she shouldn't-- She couldn't have Ascended!" 

Her stomach sank as she recalled that nightmare that had plagued her. Had she been seeing what would happen to Kira, and just not understood? But for the past two years… she'd been jovial Kira, happy to see her when she visited… always ready with a table of food… She'd seen Kira only a month ago, and they'd talked about the uneasy relationship between Lina and Gourry. Lina knew he was heading to meet her, knew that he remembered her visit, even though she wanted him to think he'd dreamt it. She'd talked to Kira about being timeless… that she'd have to watch Gourry grow old and… die. Kira had knocked her upside the head and told her that wasn't going to happen anytime soon, and to go find the boy and tell him the truth. She'd been so… alive when Lina had seen her last.

            Zelgadis still hadn't made half sense of the whole thing, rubbing at his shoulder where Lina had grabbed him. He corrected his earlier thought. She'd grown damnably strong as well as powerful, and he had no illusions that the diminutive little female pacing in front of him, lost in thought, could beat him as easily as the Demon Gaarv had. Finally he broke the silence, and her pacing with a question. "What's going on, Lina?"

            Lina looked over to him, something flickering in her eyes for a moment before vanishing. "Cepheid's pulse… his power is weakening. That means something's either happened to Luna, or it will happen to her soon. We have to find her before it's too late!" Reaching out suddenly, she grabbed the unresisting chimera by the wrist and began to drag him along with her as she took off at what was, for him, a dead run. She wasn't even winded, and continued to explain as they ran. "You remember, Luna is the Cepheid Knight. Well, Cepheid was supposed to have a Knight and a Protector. But no-one's filled the position of Protector since… well… I don't ever recall Cepheid's Protector being named in any of the history books. But that doesn't mean there isn't one now."

            Zelgadis struggled to keep up without her needing to pull on him. She'd grown a good bit stronger, and even with his stone skin her grip was painful. "Lina, you can let go of me…"

            But she wasn't listening. "Normally, one person can act as both duties… Xellos was the General-Priest for Xelas Metallium for ages, you know… but with the Seal of Cepheid, it wasn't that easy."

            Zelgadis didn't really have a choice but to try to keep pace with her so that she wouldn't inadvertently break his stone wrist as they went. Granted, he'd never been broken before… but he wasn't about to test it.

            "You see, Zel… there isn't enough power of Cepheid active to grant both a Knight and a Protector… so Luna has to technically do 'double duty.' She's the Knight under normal circumstances, but has been known to take a different appearance and act as Protector." She took a breath as they kept moving, and continued. "The Protector generally passes on information and defends others associated with the Cepheid Knight."

            A memory flashed across Zelgadis' mind, and he yanked his hand free from Lina, coming to a stop. "Lina! When you were fighting Shabranigdo before… when you had the Stone. Cepheid came to tell us that you had the Stone. When the figure vanished, it was Luna."

            Lina came to a screeching halt and turned to look at Zelgadis. "What did Cepheid look like?"

            Zelgadis shook his head. "It was male… but the glow made it hard to see his features. He was imposing, and yet… somehow familiar."

            Lina frowned. "He? That's no help. We'll just have to find Luna!" She turned to look around her at the forest.

            "You're the Chaos Knight, why don't you just find her the way you found me?" Zelgadis remarked, folding his arms. For all her power, Lina hadn't changed. She was still prone to brainless moments, which made her all the more dangerous at times.

            Lina smirked at him. "If it were that easy to find my sister, I would have done that by now. But Luna has a knack for vanishing when she doesn't want to be found." She looked around some more, eventually finding a rock on the ground and picked it up. "I'll probably get yelled at for this, but here goes." Casting a brief spell, she tossed the rock into the air.

            Zelgadis waited for the sound of the rock landing, and when it hadn't come after a few minutes, he looked at Lina with his eyebrow lifted.

            Lina simply grinned impishly at him, and before he could make a comment, a voice from behind him started an irritated rant.

            "Damn it, Lina… how many times have I told you not to do that? That's another plate you've broken and I had to clean the mess up before I could come to see what you wanted. Oh… hello, Zelgadis."

            Luna Inverse, Cepheid Knight and currently irritated waitress walked up to the two, and looked at her younger sister in annoyance. "You owe me a silver for that plate."

            "A silver!?" Lina shot back. "No way! Plates aren't that expensive!"

            Luna folded her arms and glared at her younger sister. "When they have food on them, they are. I'll put it on your bill, and you can pay me later. Now what was so damned important that you had to use that spell?"

            Briefly, Lina explained the encounter with Kira, and as she described her appearance, Luna paled. Lavender eyes opened, and Luna looked to her sister in all seriousness. "Lina, we have a very big problem. If what you just told me is true, then two fragments of Shabranigdo must have merged. That's the only thing that can account for the rise in Black Magic."

            "So I just find the fragments and blast them. That's simple enough." Lina said airily.

            Luna shook her head, long violet hair swaying back and forth. "No, Lina. It's not that easy. If two fragments have merged, with the Knight active, Shabranigdo will be reborn. And as Cepheid's magic is still sealed…"

            The chill hit Lina and Zelgadis at the same time, but only Lina voiced the words. "The balance of the World falters, and tips to Shabranigdo."


	5. Chaos Ascendant 4

Chaos Ascendant

Chapter 4

            When Amelia had finally managed to catch up to Gourry, more people than Amelia could count at a quick glance were mobbing him. Instantly fearing the worst, she flew up high above the mob, and called down to the blonde at the center. "Mister Gourry! Are you all right?"

            He looked up at her and nodded. "I'm fine, Amelia. But none of these people are Lina!" He sidestepped an outreached hand, dodged another person, and put the rock well out of reach above his head. He was used to having to keep things away from Lina, and this mob was tame and not even third-rate in comparison. Therefore, he wasn't truly worried that the gemstone would get stolen.

            Grateful that she was wearing pants, Amelia put her hands on her hips and hovered in the air. "Of course they aren't, Mister Gourry. None of them have hit you over the head yet!" She hated to admit it, but that would have probably been Lina's reaction to Gourry's so publicly announcing that he had a gemstone of that size. Then again, knowing Gourry as well as Amelia did, she acknowledged that it was probably in one of the safest places in the world while in his care.

            Gourry thought about that for a moment. "You know, you're right!" He held the stone above a woman's head as she tried to jump high enough to reach it. "But I still don't know how to find Lina!"

            Amelia sighed and sat in the air, thinking it over.

            "Let me just get this stone, and then we can go see Amelia, okay, Zelgadis?"

            Zelgadis folded his arms again. The minute they had arrived in Saillune (traveling the Chaos way, and not on foot,) Lina had caught news of someone with a brilliant golden topaz that was supposed to be magical. Of course, that was suddenly the first thing on her mind. "Lina, it's more important to tell Amelia about the imbalance than to get some topaz that's had a cheap spell cast into it."

            Lina glared at her stone companion. In a tone of voice that he knew better than to argue with, Lina informed him that she was going to get that rock, and that was that. Chaos Knight or not, Lina was formidable when she was denied something that she wanted.

            Reluctantly, Zelgadis followed a good distance behind as she headed off towards where a mob of people was milling around. He knew that she'd probably just end up fireballing them from a few paces away, then waltz in and walk off with the treasure… just like she had right before he met her. And with the amplification of the Black Magic circle, she was likely… "Lina!" He was suddenly very worried for the unwitting fool who owned that gemstone. Running up to her, he shouted across the din of the mob. "Remember the magic amplification!"

            When she heard the explosion, Amelia wasn't entirely alarmed. After all, she'd traveled with Lina for so many years that she'd become relatively accustomed to random fireballs and explosions nearby. So when she initially heard and saw the explosion, it didn't bother her one bit. She continued to perch in the air, pondering how they'd find Lina when she realized that the fireball had detonated underneath her. This, of course, meant that the fireball was entirely too close to Gourry, and that meant trouble.

            She darted from the air, into the smoke, landing on someone who looked vaguely suspicious in a cloak, and knocking them to the ground, proceeded to pummel them, calling out, "Don't worry, Mister Gourry! In the name of Friendship and Justice, I won't let them get away- ow!" Whoever she was hitting was well armored because she'd just managed to hurt her hand a great deal.

            An extremely familiar and very dry voice interrupted her. "While I admire your obviously undying enthusiasm, Princess, you'll only hurt yourself if you keep doing that." The voice continued to speak, switching to the words of a spell, and suddenly a burst of wind blew through the area.

            The dust from the explosion cleared quickly after that, and Amelia got a good look at the person upon whom she was perched. She had landed on Zelgadis, who was now lying on his stomach on the ground, and her fist was still against the shoulder that she had hit. Awkwardly, she pulled her fist back, looking at her knuckles and blushing violently. This wasn't how she'd wanted to run into Zelgadis again. "Mister Zelgadis… I…"

            He cleared his throat to remind her that she was still sitting on him, and she leapt up and off of his back with an embarrassed yelp, looking over to see a familiar diminutive redhead pounding the blonde swordsman into the ground. Predictably, Lina had the topaz in her free hand, and Gourry looked perfectly content to have her pounding on him once more.

            "It's good to see you too, Amelia." Zelgadis remarked as he dusted his cape off, watching the pink of the Princess' face deepen again. He hadn't seen her since that last awkward night where they both had decided that they needed more time before entering a formal relationship. It had only taken him a month to decide that it had been a mistake to say that… but he was determined to be good to his word and not pressure Amelia.

            A few hours later, everyone was gathered at a table in the Royal Palace. Lina had endured Philionel's crushing hugs, and now sat at the table, looking thoughtfully at the topaz. "Hey, Gourry…? Where did you get this stone?" She was all too aware that she hadn't really talked to Gourry yet… and she wasn't too eager to do so, either. She was happy to see him… but she still hadn't worked anything out.

            Gourry scratched his head. "Oh, that? It's been in the family for a long time now, I guess. Why? Is it important?" Could the stone be important? He wanted to ask her about the past two years, what she had said in her dream… what Rouddy had said about her when he had gone home. But he knew better than to ask right now. The air was too charged, there was too much unsaid… and he knew if he said anything first, it would either end up in him getting pummeled, or with her leaving again. And he still had that other dream… the one with the octopuses.

            Lina stared at the blonde. Normally, she would have climbed across the table and proceeded to beat Gourry over the head for that sort of answer, but this time, she simply closed her eyes and shook her head. "You know, Gourry… I keep forgetting that you're a direct descendant of Cepheid. Of course this sort of thing would be in your family."

            Amelia and Zelgadis looked to each other. The way Lina was acting was beginning to give them both a bad case of nerves. Amelia turned to Lina and managed the question nervously. "What is that stone, Miss Lina?"

            "It's a very powerful amulet, Amelia. You see, a long time ago, during the Wars, pools of magic were formed when spells were created. Some sorcerers 'soaked' stones in these pools of magic to create very powerful amulets for many uses. Most of the stones were destroyed, and the magic pools dispersed over time. But a few of the stones escaped destruction. Mostly the ones that were created with pools of what we now know as the Sealed Magics," Lina replied.

            "Sealed Magics? Miss Lina, do you mean Cephied's Holy spells?" Amelia asked, leaning forwards in her chair.

            "Not only those magics, but countless other magics as well," Lina said, looking into the fiery depths of the golden topaz.

            Zelgadis lifted an eyebrow. "And that particular stone is…?"

            Lina smiled faintly, a mysterious little smile that would have had all the hair on Zelgadis' head standing on end, if it wasn't already doing so. "This, Zelgadis, is our key to Balance."


	6. Chaos Ascendant 5

Chaos Ascendant

Chapter 5

            The key to balance, Lina had called it. Zelgadis called it a large yellow rock. Amelia called it chunky. Gourry called it the SunStone. Truthfully, the word Gourry had used was in the strange wind-flute language of the Mipross Elves. Lina had been the one to translate it into 'SunStone' for the others.

            Any way it was named, they all agreed that from the seemingly inert yellow topaz emanated a more than vague sense of power.

            At length, Lina sighed and put the stone down gently on the table. "It's only part of the key, though. We still have to find the other parts."

            Amelia looked to the redhead in confusion. "I don't understand, Lina. How can an old magical rock be much of a key to anything?"

            In lieu of a verbal answer, Lina reached across the table and rested her fingers on Amelia's hand. She cupped her other hand around the stone and then looked to Amelia.

            To the Princess of Saillune, Lina's touch went from a simple physical sensation to something far deeper. The magic reached out from the stone and through Lina, grabbing Amelia up in a raging torrent of power, which Amelia felt all the way down to her soul. Raw and untempered, the magic was wild, yet had the same feeling as when she had first met Luna Inverse. It felt… right somehow.

            To Zelgadis and Gourry's sight, the stone within Lina's hand had remained simply a rock. However, the chimera was aware of something dancing just beyond his reach on the Astral Plane. It was almost as if Lina and Amelia were summoning something but did not have all the power required to do so, even though he knew far better.

            Amelia's eyes widened, and Lina released both girl and stone. "Do you see now, Amelia?"

            Wordlessly, Amelia nodded, the full meaning of the powers within the stone still working its way through her mind. If that stone was all that she thought it was… perhaps a cure for Zelgadis was within reach, just as the Lord of Nightmares had suggested. Maybe… just maybe, they could find a way to tap into the powers within the stone…

            Amelia's train of thought was de-railed as a voice caused everyone to turn from the table, and the princess felt that old familiar chill as her blood ran cold in her veins. 

            "That is nothing for children to play with. I will take it now."

            Lina scowled at the figure in red which so closely resembled Kira Inverse. Oddly, while she had been afraid of her sister, this figure, while imposing, had none of the fear-inspiring traits that Luna had. And so, it was relatively easy to favor the woman standing there with a very dark look as she spoke. "Go back to the Hell that you crawled out of, Knight of Shabranigdo, and leave us alone."

            Amelia and Gourry blinked. They hadn't been privy to the events of earlier, and they didn't know that this wasn't Kira. The both of them were under the impression that this was simply Kira doing her job as the Knight of Shabranigdo.

            "But, Miss Lina," Amelia began hesitantly, defaulting to her old way of addressing Lina. "Isn't that Lady Kira?" Delicately, Amelia began to open her senses to the figure before she felt a barrier wall snap into place and realized with a jolt that both Lina and Zelgadis had moved to the defense.

            Fiery crimson eyes locked on ice cold ones, and Lina's voice grew dark. "That's not Kira. It only looks like her. She is no more Kira than the Chaos Knight was me that time everyone ended up on the Sea of Chaos."

            Silence fell in the room as Amelia put the puzzle together. "Oh… Oh no! That means…!" Suddenly the princess was very glad that Lina and Zelgadis had cast the protection spells they had. The only thing was that the levels of magic building in the room were beginning to suffocate her. She envied Gourry the partial resistance his elven blood granted him.

            Lina nodded, not taking her eyes off of the Knight of Shabranigdo. "Yes it does." She lifted the stone in her hand, smiling dangerously. "I think I'm going to send this somewhere safe." A golden shimmer formed around the stone, and it faded from sight. "You might find it, Knight of Shabranigdo, but I very seriously doubt that you'll be able to take it away from where it went." She watched with a smirk as the other Knight vanished from sight. "Well. It's about to get very interesting."  She stood and looked at the confused group. "Shall we go?"

            Far away, in the city of New Sairaag, a raven-haired girl was busying herself with her chores. Sylphiel nels Rada was cheerful, even though all that she had been through. She'd learned how to be stronger as she helped rebuild her city, and held no animosity for any of those involved with the events that had destroyed it.

            She was a gentle and loving girl. Sometimes, to a fault. She couldn't cast a flare arrow to save her life, but she was fairly good at the Dragon Slave. She was perfectly aware that this made little to no sense, but she didn't let it bother her.

            In fact, she wasn't even bothered by the fact that a large yellow gemstone had appeared out of nowhere and clonked her on the head. She just caught it and looked at it thoughtfully, considering that Lina Inverse must have sent it to her, and no doubt the sorceress was caught up in yet another adventure.

            "Ah well," Sylphiel sighed with a smile as she set the gemstone in her laundry basket. "I haven't seen Lina in a while. I wonder if Gourry dear will be with her…?" She picked up the basket and made sure none of the clothing was hanging out. "It's a good thing I did laundry. I suppose I ought to pack…" She turned back towards her house, and paused. "Now that's odd… I could have sworn that I heard a voice…" She looked around in confusion and seeing no one, continued back, only to come to a complete stop before her front door.

            A woman who looked a good deal like Lina Inverse was standing there in what Sylphiel could only call red armor. "Oh! Hello… but you aren't Miss Lina. Are you related? You look just like her."

            Cold crimson eyes narrowed. "Give me the stone."

            Wide blue eyes blinked once, then twice. "Stone? Oh! This?" She reached into her basket and picked it up to show the other woman. Now that she could only use one hand to hold the basket, she shifted its weight to her hip, resting her hand against the bottom of the basket and gripping the wand in her belt for support.

            The woman who looked like Lina made a lunge for Sylphiel, and it startled the cleric enough that she called her own defensive magic around her.

            The effect was, for once, quite impressive.

            A brilliant white shield formed before her, a gentle voice whispering words that Sylphiel had never heard, yet understood. She felt the magic swirl around her, felt the stone within her hand suddenly burst into magical life and saw the effect it had on the other woman.

            Fire flared out from the Knight of Shabranigdo's fingers, but the brilliant shield absorbed the flames, leaving Sylphiel unharmed. The light grew brighter, and Sylphiel felt as if someone were standing beside her. She turned to see who it was, and with a shock, realized that the shield was being cast by a woman in silvery-white who looked exactly like she did.

            Before Sylphiel could begin to come up with a thought, someone else had appeared between herself and the strange woman in red: Lina Inverse.

            All of this happening so suddenly proved to be too much for the gentle cleric, and she swayed slightly, crumpling into the waiting arms of the solid chimera who had appeared behind her.

            Zelgadis sighed, catching Sylphiel easily. "She still hasn't changed."


	7. Chaos Ascendant 6

**Chaos Ascendant**

**Chapter 6**

            Lina glared at the Knight of Shabranigdo, worried that she might have to call to her command some more serious show of defensive power, but the silver-white figure stepped up beside her, placing a hand on her arm. 

A voice, without truly being a voice spoke words that Lina had a suspicion that only she and the Knight of Shabranigdo could hear. "Leave this place. You will be dealt with later."

The Knight of Shabranigdo's eyes blazed at the mysterious woman, the identity of whom Lina was just beginning to suspect. "You are weak. The reckoning will come. And yet, I am not without honor, for where is the challenge when you are so pathetically outclassed? I'll give you some time to prepare for your death." Only when the red-clad woman vanished did the silver figure move her hand and smile faintly to Lina before dissolving before the surprised sorceress's eyes.

Lina blinked, and then noticed that Amelia had gently taken the stone and wand from Sylphiel, so that Zelgadis could carry the unconscious Cleric into her house. Silently mulling over what had just transpired, Lina followed Zelgadis as he carried Sylphiel into the house, Amelia following close behind, holding the stone and want gingerly, as if either one of them might suddenly burst into magical flames. Gourry held the door, and entered last, casting a glare about the yard, as if daring Kira Inverse to return, missing the shadowed figure drifting next to the edge of the woods.

            Inside an all-too fluffy bedroom, the chimera did his best to rest Sylphiel gently on the bed, but he rather doubted the softness of his touch. Afraid that he'd bruised her, he cast a light healing spell on her, and looked to see if she had awakened. Her eyes were still closed, and so he turned to look at Amelia. "I've done what I can. She probably needs to sleep out the shock. It's rather disconcerting to have a bunch of people appear around you without warning."

            Amelia nodded, biting her lip. "I just hope that she's going to be okay… but Zelgadis… I've never seen Sylphiel cast a spell that powerfully before." She looked at the wand and the stone still in her hands. "Do you think that maybe one of these had something to do with it?"

            Lina's voice came from behind the princess. "I'm pretty certain that it did Amelia. I sent the stone somewhere that it would be safe… and it came here, to Sylphiel. The woman in silver who stood at my side looked an awful lot like Sylphiel does, and at the time, Sylphiel was holding the stone. Doesn't that tell you anything?"

            Zelgadis put it together first. "Sylphiel is a piece of our puzzle?"

            "Sylphiel's not a puzzle! She's a… a…" Gourry struggled to come up with the word. "She's a Cleric!" He beamed at the group, obviously pleased that he'd recalled the correct title.

            Lina sighed and shook her head. "The very fact that the SunStone came here to Sylphiel says that her alignment is truly to Cepheid. But more important is the fact that the stone itself reacts to her."

            Zelgadis looked to Lina and Amelia with sudden startlement, Lina's point coming to a sudden and very brilliant point in his thoughts. "Are you saying that she's…?!"

            The redheaded sorceress nodded slowly. "I think she may be. But we have to wait until she wakes up. And I know, for now, we should let her rest. I'm sure that she needs it. If what we suspect is the truth, she's going to need every chance to prepare that we can give her."

            Lina turned, dragging Gourry down the hall with her, allowing Amelia to leave the room, wand and stone still in hand. Zelgadis quietly closed the door behind him as he left, mulling over what Lina had and had not said. He wasn't sure that he believed it.

            Sylphiel opened her eyes to see the ceiling of her own room. She blinked once, then twice, and sat up with a sudden start as she recalled the earlier events. Had she dreamt it all? Did she really get hit on the head by a strange gemstone that an almost mirror image of Lina had wanted? And had Lina and some strangely familiar woman come to her defense? She shook her head and slipped out of the bed. Detachedly, she looked at her feet. She was fully dressed… so she had to have been awake. Which meant…

            Sylphiel opened the door to her room and walked down the hall. A chill settled over her as she saw everyone sitting quietly in her living room. It hadn't been a dream. She blinked again, and then looked to her visitors. "Would someone care to explain to me what happened?"

            Lina looked over and stood, smiling disarmingly at Sylphiel. "Oh, you're awake! How are you feeling?"

            Sylphiel, fully aware of Lina's tricks, folded her arms and looked at the redhead. "Lina, what are you involved in this time? I get hit on the head with a strange gemstone, and suddenly someone who looks almost exactly like you is threatening my life if I don't give it to her. Do you care to explain what that was all about?"

            Lina reached out and took the SunStone and the wand from Amelia, offering them to Sylphiel. "Maybe you should find out for yourself, Sylphiel."

            Gentle blue eyes narrowing, the Cleric reached out and took both the items from Lina's hands. No sooner had Lina let go of them, than the stone burst into a brilliant life and Sylphiel stared at it. "Miss Lina… this is the SunStone… this is the gemstone that was chipped from the frozen form of Cepheid during the Time of Sealing! The legend…"

            "Legend?" Zelgadis looked over to the surprised Cleric. "What legend, Sylphiel?"

            "The legend says that at a time most desperate, the SunStone will return to the world and shine, calling forth the Protector of Cepheid…" her voice trailed off and suddenly it dawned on her and almost all of the others. "Protector of Cepheid…"

            Gourry blinked, frowning. "But I thought you were a Cleric, Sylphiel…?"

            A wash of brilliance announced the arrival of the Knight of Cepheid, and silvery-lavender eyes regarded the even more startled Cleric coolly. "Then it is true. The Protector has been found." Silently, Luna saluted Sylphiel, and watched as Sylphiel automatically returned the hail. Someone had taught the Cleric the correct response. Had they known all along?

            And then Gourry figured out that Sylphiel was named the Protector of Cepheid. He looked to Luna and frowned. "So what does that mean? Sylphiel's like you?"

            When she replied, Luna's voice was quiet. "Sylphiel is quite possibly one of the most powerful Clerics in the world."

            Zelgadis kept his mouth shut; for fear that he might bury himself deeper than necessary. But the thought of Sylphiel being powerful just somehow didn't compute. After all, he'd seen her Flare Carrots. Come to think about it, he'd seen her Dragon Slave, too. A strange light lit in his cerulean eyes as he considered the implications. He was beginning to get the feeling that all literal Holy Hell was going to break loose… and he was willing to bet he'd be at Ground Zero for it when it did.


	8. Chaos Ascendant 7

Chaos Ascendant

Chapter 7

            Things weren't looking too good in the land of Shabranigdo. In fact, the Knight of Shabranigdo was pacing furiously back and forth, fire fairly burning in her eyes. She'd called a summons that had yet to be answered, and she was a being of little patience. Her task was set, but complications had arisen. Therefore, she had called upon someone who could eliminate the complications as it were.

            "Ah… Kira. How nice of you to call me for assistance."

            The Knight of Shabranigdo glared at the man clad in violet. "I am not that pathetic mortal, though she struggles yet to be free. You are Mazoku, Xellos Metallium, and therefore subordinate to me."

            Xellos tried not to bristle to that. He didn't like being subordinate to anyone, even to his Mistress, though he accepted that. But, there were times when he simply had to pretend the part. Right now was obviously one of them. "What is it you wish I do?"

            "The mortal girl known as Sylphiel nels Rada. Is she known to you?" The Knight of Shabranigdo queried.

            Sylphiel. Xellos's brow arched, and he looked to the Knight of Shabranigdo with amusement. "Indeed. I know her. Pathetic little thing. Why she should present herself a threat to you I have no idea. Her Flare Arrows are known better as Flare Carrots, and she is too gentle a creature to be of much use to you."

            She looked so very much like Kira Inverse as she stalked to and fro across the room that it unnerved him. But even as he'd had a healthy respect for Kira Inverse, he had a near unhealthy lack of respect for the Knight of Shabranigdo. He'd somehow thought that Kira, once touched by Chaos, would have been immune to the touch of the Dark Lord. "She is not to be of use to me. You are to destroy her."

            Xellos actually blinked. _Destroy Sylphiel…? "How would you have me accomplish this, oh unholy one? Shall I feed her as sacrifice to aid our Dark Lord's rebirth? Or perhaps I should trap her in the Realm of Eternal Dispair for her emotions to feed our Dark Lord when he is reborn?"_

            "Do what you will, but she must be destroyed before she discovers the power that lies within her," the Knight stated flatly.

            Xellos watched the Knight pace back and forth. _Power within Sylphiel? Time to ask a few questions without being too obvious about it. "What power is that? Perhaps we can twist it to our advantage…"_

            The Knight rounded on him, eyes ablaze. "The power that lies within her can no more be twisted to our advantage than you can be moved to act for Cepheid. Now go to the task appointed you and cease wasting my time with foolish questions!"

            Well. That told him a good deal of what he wanted to know, and he'd only had to ask one question. Affecting a bow, he faded from the Knight's sight, mulling this over. If he had his ideas all lined up, then Sylphiel was more than just a Cleric of Cepheid. His best guess was that she was to become the Protector, and the Knight needed the mortal destroyed before that transformation could take place. _Moved to act for Cepheid, indeed._ He thought as he headed out to find the Cleric, knowing full well what he'd have to do. He only moved to act for himself. If it aided Cephied for a moment, well... he'd just take care of the consequences later.

            He smirked as he phased into corporeal being outside of Sylphiel's house. He never ceased to find it amusing that the most powerful beings relied on the very mortals they sought to use. Without Kira Inverse, the Knight of Shabranigdo would be nothing more than a non-corporeal being. Whereas himself, well… he didn't need a mortal to give him shape. A plan was beginning to form in his head, but suddenly his train of thought was knocked off-track by a large rock. More precisely, it was the large rock that Lina had just hurled at his head.

            "Hey fruitcake! How long do you plan on standing there and letting me use you as target practice?" She had her hands on her hips, looking expectantly at him.

            It wasn't the first time that Xellos had disobeyed orders. It certainly wouldn't be the last. But his ultimate plan did not involve a dead Sylphiel, so he simply had to take matters into his own hands. He lifted his staff and casually aimed it at the small house. "Lina… how lovely to see you. Now, please step aside so that I can kill Sylphiel."

            That brought Lina to a sudden stop. "What? Xellos, you can't kill Sylphiel!"

            With an affected sigh, Xellos lowered the staff. It was good to know that Lina was still as predictable as ever. "Oh well. It wasn't what I wanted to do anyway. But since the Chaos Knight was so kind to remove me from that duty, I can go on about my business."

            He would have actually phased out were it not for the fact that Lina had stalked over to him, grabbed him by the collar and shook him until he could actually feel what he imagined to be his teeth rattling. _You're definitely spending too much time among the mortals again, Xellos. Perhaps a nice vacation to Wolf Pack Island with Elena could cure that. Say maybe spend a few centuries playing Lord of the Mortal Underworld again..._ Lina's voice cut through his momentary thought, and he allowed himself to be rattled while she spoke. When dealing with someone who could throw Chaos without thinking about it, it was always wisest to irritate them as little as possible. "What the Hell are you talking about, fruitcake? If you're up to something, you'd better come right out and say it, or I'll fry you right here and now."

            The other convenient thing about not being tied to mortals was that he could simply withstand most punishments. However, he knew better than to think that Lina couldn't back up her threats with the power required to reduce even him to a cinder. So, once she'd stopped shaking him, he opened his eyes and looked at her most seriously. "Complete the ritual tonight, before the Knight of Shabranigdo herself comes to do the task that I was just released from."

            Lina looked at the Trickster Priest in confusion, dropping him back onto his feet. "Ritual?"

            "Summon the Protector before it's too late, Lina."

            She blinked. "But Xellos… You're a Mazoku. Why are you telling me this? Why are you…?" Her voice faded off as Xellos put a gloved finger to her lips.

            "That, my dear Chaos Knight, is a secret."

            And then he was gone before she could utter a single syllable of her near-instant fury at his words.

            But more to the point, she knew that he was right. Now that Sylphiel had been discovered… they had little time to spare.


	9. Chaos Ascendant 8

Chaos Ascendant

Chapter 8

            The room had stilled with Lina's recounting of what had transpired between herself and the Trickster Priest outside. As inconceivable as it was, the worst had most probably taken place. If what Xellos had said was true, then the jovial Kira was no longer, and in her place was the formidable and completely uncompassionate Knight of Shabranigdo. And her target was the gentle Cleric of Cepheid, Sylphiel nels Rada.

Four pairs of concerned eyes turned to the silent raven haired Cleric who stood frozen in the center of the room, holding the pitcher of water that she had been pouring into Gourry's cup. A heartbeat passed, then another, and Lina was beginning to worry. But just as Lina opened her mouth to reassure Sylphiel that she couldn't possibly simply sit by and do nothing, Sylphiel drew a breath and closed her eyes.

            "A long time ago, my father told me that I was heir to something bigger and better than Sairaag. My family had always been in the service of Cepheid, and we have always guarded the Blessed Blade." The Cleric opened her eyes and looked to Lina. "A great many things he said back then make sense now, Miss Lina."

            "But what will you do, Sylphiel?" Zelgadis asked. He was always the one who had to ask, he reflected for a moment. He was, after all, the heartless mystic who always found voice for the difficult questions. It was his role in life, he'd decided. The only thing was that he wasn't asking out of necessity. He was genuinely concerned.

            Sylphiel's hands trembled slightly as she set the crystal pitcher carefully on the table and summoned a smile to her face. "I will have to do what must be done. If that means becoming the Protector of Cepheid… then that is what must be."

            Zelgadis nodded slowly as he considered Sylphiel's answer. He had to admit that Sylphiel was made of tougher stuff than she looked. But still, to become something that powerful without being very powerful to begin with… A mental image of Sylphiel's infamous Flare Carrot came to his mind, and he looked up to Lina. "Lina, I don't completely understand. Both Shabranigdo and the Lord of Nightmares have one… representative, as it were. But…how can there be enough power two support two representatives of Cepheid when Cepheid is sealed?"

            Lina folded her arms. "That's kind of difficult to answer, Zel. But look at it this way: Shabranigdo was split into seven parts, right?" _Oh… how do I make this easy for them to understand…_

            Zelgadis nodded. "And one of those was in Rezo."

            "Right. There was, of course a fragment in Lei Magnus. A third was in Kuroryu, which the Lord of Nightmares and I destroyed. Another was in the General of Shabranigdo, which the Chaos Knight destroyed in the Sea of Chaos," Lina counted on her fingers as she went. "That only accounts for four fragments. So, by my best guess, at least one other fragment has come into power with Kira taking over as the Knight of Shabranigdo. Perhaps even two fragments. It would explain why Kira wasn't immune to the Dark Lord's powers."

            "But what does that have to do with Cepheid, Miss Lina?" Amelia piped up, not seeing a connection.

            "There are fragments of Cepheid that weren't completely sealed. That's why we can still cast some of the holy spells, such as Restoration, Holy Bless, and others," Sylphiel remarked, looking to Amelia. "Most of our magic is based from those fragments that are only partially sealed away."

            "And not all fragments were born into people. One such fragment is that stone, right there." Lina pointed to the stone resting inauspiciously on the table. "So this particular fragment isn't as easy to find as one that was born into a person. The fragments that aren't born into people tend to be inactive, and rarely ever surface. It's like the Philosopher's Stone. When they do surface, it generally heralds a potential shift in the Balance, one way or the other."

            Everyone but Gourry nodded as Lina continued to explain. "But all of the white magic spells draw on the fragments of Cepheid, no matter where they are, surfaced or not. You see, Sylphiel by herself doesn't have a whole lot of power… she simply controls that which exists around her. The Protector does have a lot of power. Unconsciously, Sylphiel's been controlling the use of Cepheid's fragments, making certain that the levels of available power around her don't dip below the tenuous balance, just in case the Protector is needed."

            "So who did we see standing there casting the Protect spell?" Again, Zelgadis had to be the one to ask.

            "That's what happens when two or more of the larger fragments come into contact. The resonation of power assumes the Protector's form, the Protector in this situation being Sylphiel." Lina explained. "If she had performed the ritual, we wouldn't have seen two separate figures, just the one Protector."

            It quickly dawned on her that she wasn't explaining it very well at all. As the Chaos Knight, she knew more than her companions ever could, understood the balance and workings of the powers better. With a sigh, she shrugged. "Look, think of it this way: there aren't really two representatives of Cepheid, Zel. In essence, the fragments merge and become a single, stronger fragment."

            Comprehension dawned on her friends' faces. With another sigh, Lina hung her head in defeat. She hated to oversimplify, but how could she explain the odd nature of Cepheid's remaining magic without explaining to all of them half of what they really shouldn't know? _Like that whole thing with Dark Star and Volfeid… only Gorunova… well_, Lina hastily stopped that train of thought. She still had trouble reconciling herself with the role reversals there, and she had stood on the Staff and seen it with her own eyes. Nonetheless, regardless of how she felt, every good had to have an evil, and a simple perception change could easily reverse it all.

            Such was the nature of Chaos.

            "But given that the two fragments merge and become one new fragment, in that single event, what will become of Sylphiel?" Once more, it was the somber chimera who had to give voice to the touchy question.

            "Don't worry about it, Mister Zelgadis. Let me speak with Luna. She and I will work everything out." Sylphiel said softly.

            Lina looked around to see that her sister had managed to slip away at some point, and reached into her cloak for the stone that she used to send out for her sister, but before she could do so, the familiar figure of a waitress had stepped into the room.

            Pulling her hair back and out of her startling lavender eyes, Luna Inverse sat at the table and scanned those present before she opened her mouth with a statement that brought silence to the room. "A certain priest told me to come back here, so I left my table with someone else. Now does anyone care to explain to me why a Mazoku is acting on the side of Cepheid?"


	10. Chaos Ascendant 9

Chaos Ascendant

Chapter 9

            "My guess is that he's decided to be an agent of Chaos," Lina replied. "I did rather give him an order…"

            Luna's brow arched as she looked at her sister. "An order? What did you tell him?"

            "That he couldn't kill Sylphiel," Lina said calmly. "I think he was under orders from the Knight of Shabranigdo. He pretty much told me that she'd figured it out, and that we had to perform the ritual tonight, before she came after Sylphiel herself."

            Luna sighed. "I was afraid that we'd have that problem. If the Knight of Shabranigdo comes before we can begin the ritual…"

            Lina nodded to her sister. "I'd rather not have to go that route. We have Sylphiel, the Sun Stone, and the Cepheid Knight… all we need is a powerful place, and the Blessed Blade."

            "What kind of powerful place, Miss Lina?" Amelia asked, pondering. New Sairaag didn't have much in the way of temples or shrines yet.

            "I know!" Gourry said excitedly.

            Lina held up her hand before Gourry could open his mouth again. "No, Gourry. There's no way that the old city is safe enough. The ritual will be dangerous enough as it is with the Knight of Shabranigdo after us."

            Gourry pouted for a moment, and then slumped sulkily into his chair. "I was only going to suggest the Holy Tree Flagoon. You know, where we buried that copy guy."

            Lina stared at Gourry. Every great once in a while, he made a good deal of sense. She wasn't sure, however, what frightened her more: the fact that he'd thought of it, or that she hadn't.

            The shadowy figure stood outside the window listening. Shrouded in secret, the figure smiled to itself. Oh, yes. That was indeed a place of power. And the Knight of Shabranigdo knew it. It was time to prepare, for the Knight must be blocked…

            The shadow pulled more shadows in on itself, vanishing without a trace.

            Lina glanced to the window for a moment, then shook her head. She was entirely too jumpy. "Let's get moving. Gourry, you go with Sylphiel and Luna to get the Blessed Blade. Zel, Amelia, let's go on to Flagoon. When you get there with the sword, we should have it ready."

            The little group dispersed, Lina taking the SunStone into her care. Amelia looked to Sylphiel in concern for a moment, but decided that she'd probably be fine with Luna and Gourry guarding her.

            Just as she knew very little could harm her with Lina around. She had, after all, touched the very face of Chaos, and lived to tell the tale.

            Flagoon. Of course. The Knight of Shabranigdo had been furious that the Chaos Knight had interceded. She'd dismissed Xellos and decided to take matters into her own hands.

            She could not let the Protector come into power. At whatever cost, no matter the price. Let them all die, but Shabranigdo would be reborn.

            Xellos sat on a branch of the Holy Tree and watched in amusement. _Very soon_, he thought. Very soon now everything would fall into place. Violet eyes opened, and a dark smile spread across his face. It was little coincidence that the three powerful Inverse females held the three positions of Power. It was even less that they had gathered the people around them that they had.

            They were, after all, the instruments of the Four World's destruction.

            The Holy Tree looked happy to see them, Amelia thought. It looked brighter and there was a glitter of magic around it, unlike how she had seen it the last time she'd been here. Each leaf seemed to be trying to outdo the other in a brilliant display of varying greens.

            At least, that's what she thought before the trio got close.

            The unearthly glow glittering on the tree was a reflection of the power emanating from the figure standing at its base. Blood red on scarlet, shrouded in shimmering flames, the Knight of Shabranigdo stood before the tree.

            "Oh, Hell." Lina muttered. She grabbed the SunStone from Amelia, ignoring the girl's sudden squeak of surprise, and glared at the figure near the tree. If anything happened to the Sun Stone… she didn't want to think about that.

            Stepping in front of Zelgadis and Amelia, she looked at the opposing Knight. "I don't get it. Kira wasn't supposed to become Shabby's pawn, you know." _Maybe if I can stall for enough time…_

            A bemused expression crossed the Knight of Shabranigdo's face. "_I_ am not Kira. I am the Knight of Shabranigdo, and you won't be able to stop me."

            Lina pondered. She knew that she had power over both Shabranigdo and Cepheid's agents, but the problem of Balance existed. She simply couldn't destroy the Knight of Shabranigdo – another would rise to place, or the Protector of Cepheid would have to be destroyed as well. Kira and Sylphiel. As if she could do that.

"Quite the dilemma, isn't it?" Xellos' tone was conversational as he appeared beside Lina. "Kill her, and either kill the Protector of Cepheid as well, or save the Protector's life and have to fight whoever becomes the new Knight of Shabranigdo." Violet eyes opened, their liquid depths turning to meet fiery scarlet eyes shot through with gold. "But can you, I wonder, save them both?"

Lina glared at the Mazoku. She did /not/ want to have to deal with him as well as… Suddenly a pithy string of invective ran through her head as two thoughts collided in a brilliant display of manipulation and betrayal.

As Zelgadis and Amelia watched in stunned surprise, Lina spun, and with a glowing hand, grabbed Xellos by his throat. Pulling him close to her face, she began hissing at him in a language that neither Priestess nor Shaman understood.

But Xellos understood it all too well, each word slicing into him as the power of the Chaos Knight collected in the hand that was most firmly wrapped around his throat.

            A dangerous golden glitter was glinting in Lina's eyes as she spoke. "You filthy piece of rotten garbage. You set this up. You deliberately did this. You manipulated me into telling you not to kill Sylphiel so that you could join forces here with the Knight of Shabranigdo and kill them all."

            Xellos blinked. No, that hadn't been his plan… but how to make her see that? He was keenly aware of the thin line on which he was standing. Lina had the power to literally wipe him off of the planet, not to mention the Four Worlds. He would be no more than a memory on the Sea of Chaos if he didn't say this right. "Lina," he said most seriously, "While I will admit to manipulating you into ordering me not to kill Sylphiel, joining with the Knight of Shabranigdo is not my intention. Quite frankly, her presence frightens me more than yours." 

For a moment, Xellos felt a strange absolute nothingness as Lina's powers built up around him, threatening his very existence. He took a deep physical breath, something he hadn't truly done since he was a mortal. His voice dropped, the annoying edge falling away, and he allowed them to hear his real voice, the voice he had once had as a Human. "Send the Stone to Sylphiel, Lina. There's no more time. If you don't, everyone precious to you will die."

            The words spoken in the Ancient Tongue froze both Zelgadis and Amelia. While neither one had understood what he had said, the change in his voice and the simple phrasings with names had made it very clear.

            Lina let go of Xellos and cast the Stone into the air, spelling it to Sylphiel. As the Knight of Shabranigdo moved to counter, Xellos' staff began to glow, a shield blocking the attack. The Stone vanished, and an unholy silence fell in the night.


	11. Chaos Ascendant 10

Chaos Ascendant

Chapter 10

            This time, when the Stone appeared, it didn't get the chance to bounce off of Sylphiel's head. Luna reached up and caught it instead, pulling it out of the air before it even got close enough to be a concern to the Cleric.

            But before Gourry could marvel at Luna's accuracy, the Cepheid Knight had grabbed him by his collar, and was busy dragging him closer to the place where Sylphiel had hidden the Blessed Blade. She knew that the arrival of the Stone meant that there was trouble above at Flagoon, and that the Protector must now be summoned at any cost.

            Sylphiel hadn't needed to be told anything either. She'd taken to the air, pulling off her shoes as she went. She had to cross the water barefoot, and she knew that anything that she could do to help speed things along was a good thing.

            She landed by the water, crossing as quickly as the magic would allow her. Even as she summoned the Blessed Blade, she could feel Shabranigdo's power increasing. As soon as the sword was free of the water, she grabbed it, mumbled an apology, and crossed back as fast as she could. When she got to shore, the world shook, and she stumbled, throwing out a hand to catch herself, but Gourry and Luna were there.

            "Do it now!" A voice echoed through the cavern, a voice that seemed incongruous with the moment.

            Luna turned to see a figure with black hair surrounded by a dark miasma. Elena.

            But instead of advancing the attack on the trio, Elena was holding back the darkness, buying the others the time that they desperately needed.

            The Cepheid Knight favored the Mazoku-Dragon with a smile before shifting and assuming the complete manifestation of her status and title. Cool lavender eyes turned to Gourry, and for a moment, there was a gentle frown before the expression smoothed itself off of her face. "Gourry Gabriev, son of Mipross. What I ask of you now is of no light consequence. Your blood is the same as Cepheid's. You are his descendant, directly through the elves of Mipross. You are also his descendant through the blood of the Holy Priests of Cepheid, which flows in your mother as well as you. By this duality in bloodlines, yours is the only blood that is true to Cepheid's. It is your blood alone that can help us."

            Guileless blue eyes blinked, blonde lashes meeting, then parting. "What do I need to do?"

            "Some of your blood must be given to the Blessed Blade," Sylphiel whispered, bringing the blade close.

            Completely trusting, without looking, Gourry reached out and caught the blade in his hand. Blue eyes locking on to green ones, he deliberately gripped the blade and slid his hand down its length.

            Elena watched, holding back the reach of the Dark Lord, admiring the blonde's tenacity. She was aware that Shabranigdo was trying to subvert her, trying to get past her barrier, but her draconic side was aiding. She knew that she wouldn't hold out as long as they needed her to, but she would do what she could. She owed them all that much for everything they'd done for her.

            No sooner had Gourry let go of the sword, it began to glow, a brilliant light radiating from in most reminiscent of the Sword of Light. As they watched, it changed, becoming a smaller blade to fit the Cleric who held it. Too long to be called a dagger, and much too short to be a sword, it glittered brightly in the darkness that approached. Sylphiel lifted her eyes to the woman in the distance, raising the blade aloft. "Elena, go. I do not wish for you to be a sacrifice as well."

            Golden eyes narrowed for a moment, and then closed. So the Cleric knew. Head bowed, the Mazoku-Dragon General of Zelas Metallium vanished, allowing the raw power of Shabranigdo to approach at an alarming speed.

            Power of another nature began to crackle around Sylphiel as she called words that Gourry couldn't understand. Suddenly, between heartbeats, everything was frozen.

            And then, Gourry watched in horror as the gentle Cleric raised the blade higher, and then with a swiftness born only of sheer necessity, brought the blade to rest within her own body.

            The Knight of Shabranigdo's anger was palpable in the form of the fury that she threw at the Mazoku who stood before the small group. Lina could tell that Xellos was tiring, but he wouldn't allow them to aid him. He'd explained it as a difference in magics, but Lina knew that he was going to hold out against the Knight as long as he could to buy Sylphiel time, and to keep Zelgadis and Amelia from wearing themselves out in a futile defense.

            And while Xellos bought them time, Lina had to make a decision. Who lived, who died, and how the balance would be restored. Sure. No pressure. Just saving the world one more time.

            It was beginning to get old.

            Xellos' shield faltered, but before Lina could do anything to help, another figure had joined Xellos. Elena added her strength to the shield, calling back to Lina and the others. "They have everything they need, except time! I hope your Cleric knows what she's up against!"

            Lina couldn't have been more pleased to see Xellos' partner, especially with the news she had of the others. "I think she has a good clue. I guess all we can do now is wait!"

            Elena shook her head. "You're going to have to defend yourselves very soon. We can't stay much longer. Once the Protector awakens…"

            Lina nodded. The initial surge of power as the Protector awakened would be enough to destroy both Xellos and Elena. Turning, she saw her two companions preparing for battle. _They actually think they'll have a chance? She'd swat them like flies before they could even raise their shields. Oh well… time for Chaos to join in…_

            Crimson eyes shot through with gold closed, and Lina summoned enough of her own power to support a shield against the Knight of Shabranigdo. The golden braces glittered at Lina's wrists, but the armor didn't follow. She didn't want to take a true stand unless she absolutely had no choice in the matter. She opened her eyes and looked to the two Mazoku. "Go. Thank you for your help, Xellos and Elena. Now, get out of here before you become trapped into this."

            The two Mazoku looked to each other, and nodded. As they vanished, Lina's shield formed around the three left behind.

            "So. Have you picked, Chaos Knight? Are you going to side with those who support the weaker magics?" The Knight of Shabranigdo punctuated her words with vicious red-black slashes of magic.

            Lina's shield absorbed each attack without countering, and she simply looked at the Knight of Shabranigdo. "I choose to guard those who are my friends. Kira would have known that." _Where in Cepheid's name is Sylphiel? She should have been able to complete the ritual by now…_

            Zelgadis and Amelia tightened up behind Lina, the chimera's voice quiet. "Lina, we have to make a plan for the possibility that Sylphiel doesn't make it in time."

            Lina ignored the soft sound from Amelia that echoed what was within her own heart. "If Sylphiel doesn't make it, Zelgadis, I have to take her out. I won't have a choice in the matter."

            A pool of shadows darkened for a moment as a shadowy figure collected even more shadows and vanished into them. 


	12. Chaos Ascendant 11

Chaos Ascendant

Chapter 11

            The SunStone pulsed once with a faint yellow glow as the Cepheid Knight caught the Cleric. Pressing the gem into the Cleric's hand, Luna watched the light as it began fading from Sylphiel's eyes and the SunStone. Had they been wrong?

            "Luna…" Gourry said, pointing to the dark tendril of Shabranigdo's power that was approaching. He drew his sword, but what good was a non-magical sword against the Dark Lord's power? He desperately needed the Sword of Light, but that was long gone.

            Luna stared at Sylphiel as she lay in her arms. She could see the color fading from the other's face, the life-force draining away into the nothingness that was the end. The Cleric was dying. They'd been wrong. The SunStone wasn't responding to the girl. Instead of Ascending, the Cleric would die. 

            Use the wand… 

            The words were a whisper, but they were enough to shock Luna into action. The violet-haired woman reached out and took the wand from Sylphiel's belt, pulling the Cleric's almost lifeless hand from the hilt of the Blessed Blade and wrapping the pale fingers around the wand.

            Only then did Luna spare a glance to the Shade who had spoken to remind her, and when she did, she gasped in recognition. "Anya…? But why?"

            Shadowy lips curled and the shade whispered again, words that both chilled and reassured Luna. "There never was an Anya, Luna. I'm an extension of Kira, and she needs our help. Now say the words, and get that girl on her feet. There's no more time."

            Luna nodded as the shadow vanished, turning back to see the color returning to Sylphiel's face, the SunStone pulsing with each feeble beat of the Cleric's heart. She began to whisper the ancient words, and watched the pulse become stronger with each word, until the SunStone's light began to burn away the darkness around them, a fiery force turning silver, and Sylphiel sat up with a gasp.

            The SunStone shattered, spilling the silvery light out over the trio, and Luna felt the presence of Cepheid even more than she had ever felt it. The Seal held the majority of Cepheid's powers back, but Luna knew that the Protector would come. Sylphiel's wand was glowing brightly, the Cleric calling to her the forces necessary to become the Protector. Not even the Knight of Shabranigdo could stop it now.

            But she wasn't prepared for the magic to turn and wash over herself and the blonde swordsman. Something else clicked in her mind as another fragment of Cephied awoke.

            A percussive force of magic shook the area, and Lina looked up in surprise. The Holy Tree was glittering again, this time as a result of the silver figure that stood at the base of the tree. Clad in silver and violet, the figure was both familiar and not. Gone was the gentle uncertainty that had always enshrouded Sylphiel, in its place a fierceness of power that reflected Holy Light off of everything.

            At the figure's side stood the Cepheid Knight and a blonde man clad in the armor of a Holy Warrior of Cepheid. Except, the warrior was none other than Gourry Gabriev. Lina shook her head slowly, amazed at the subtle changes in both the Cleric and the blonde swordsman. The change in her sister was nothing new, nothing that she hadn't already seen. And while she'd thought she'd seen it all, the next thing that happened completely floored her.

            High above, a Golden Dragon and a Black Dragon were approached, flying wing to wing with a glimmering dragon that she recognized as Aqua. The Dragons were united. They landed near the Protector, shifting to become Milgazia, Aurin, and Aqua as the other dragons began to circle overhead.

            "Miss Lina… I think we're in trouble…" Amelia whimpered, pointing to the swirling mists around the Knight of Shabranigdo. Zelgadis reinforced his magical presence and defenses while Lina took stock of the situation. Things were rapidly growing out of hand, and the Knight of Shabranigdo was calling to her aid the forces of the Mazoku. Which meant, before long, Xellos and Elena would be involved… and it was approaching the point of a critical disaster. Lina could sense the balance swinging wildly, and she knew that something would have to be done soon… something that would affect the balance of everything.

            She had to do it before it became a reprise of the Wars.

            Two figures solidified beside the Knight of Shabranigdo, two figures that Lina had not wanted to see, but had known would come. Xellos was cold, obviously in full Mazoku form, but Elena looked at Lina with an almost desperate expression. Her brother was in the air above them… and she did not wish to fight against him. The feeling was very clear to Lina. She nodded very faintly to Elena, and the golden bracers at her wrists flared brilliantly. The golden armor flowed like liquid over the redheaded sorceress, burning away the pink and gold fabric, but to Lina, it was nothing more than a soft caress of a companion's hand. 

The radiant power buffeted at Zelgadis and Amelia, but the shaman threw a shield around them, noticing the difference in the magical feel. Shields based on Cepheid wouldn't hold for long.

A shadow flickered into solidity near Luna, and the Cepheid Knight nodded to it. "You're right. She'll fix it. I believe in her. She's the only one who can stop this before it starts."

The shining armor cascaded down Lina's form, and Amelia found herself wondering. Before now, when she had seen the armor form, it hadn't felt remotely as powerful. With all her might, she prayed that Lina would still be Lina when all of this was over.

Everyone stood at bay, the tension building, each side waiting for the other to strike… with the golden sorceress and the two hapless shamans in the middle. Zelgadis grabbed Amelia by the wrist and took to the air without warning, hoping that he could get them both out of the way of the initial impact that was bound to come.

Somewhere, in the back of her mind, Lina was aware that Zelgadis had grabbed Amelia. And that alone was enough to give her the clearance she needed. Golden power shot out around her, flickering like flames as the final transformation took hold, and she reached out to awaken the other within. Only this time, unlike when she had taken everyone to the Sea of Chaos, she embraced the other, merging, becoming. It felt as if she'd found a missing part of herself, as if she'd finally accepted something that she'd been denying.

            Crimson eyes blinked, and for a moment, the Four Worlds stopped.

_I should tell them… no. I started this alone, and I will finish it alone. There's no need to involve them. This is all because of my actions… not theirs._

Crimson eyes closed again and the Worlds began to spin again.

_L-Sama help me, I love them all…_

Golden eyes opened.

The golden sphere of energy that was around Lina lifted her into the air, and Zelgadis and Amelia shielded their eyes as they looked towards the brilliant sphere that rose into the air, scattering the dragons.

"Mister Zelgadis… you don't think…?" Amelia whispered, an unnamable fear gripping her heart with cold fingers.

The chimera's voice was solemn when he replied. He couldn't see much beyond that brilliant sphere, let alone the woman who was within it. "I don't know, Amelia. I certainly hope not."

One by one, everyone looked to the sphere, each side watching to see what it would do. And as everyone watched, the sphere of gold exploded into innumerable tiny shimmers.

And suddenly, there was nothing.


	13. Chaos Ascendant 12

Chaos Ascendant

Chapter 12

            _They were, after all, the instruments of the Four World's destruction._

            The figure standing on the Sea of Chaos was not the Lord of Nightmares. Instead, it was one very powerful, very dangerous and very pissed off Lina Inverse. She was the Chaos Knight, and the Chaos Knight was she. It was circular, redundant, and unprecedented.

            Chaos had Ascended, and She was extremely annoyed.

The Balance, of course, was imperfect. That in itself was part of the problem. It would have to be fixed, and the manner in which She intended to correct the issue was not going to be a manner that would be unanimously applauded.

Like She cared.

            With a flicker of a thought, she commanded Shabranigdo and Cepheid to attend. She was, after all their beginning, and if necessary, their end. She was not at all surprised to see who attended. First Sylphiel arrived, and then Luna and Gourry. They were followed by Aqua and Milgazia.

            The Knight of Shabranigdo burst into fiery being, along with Xellos and Elena, glaring at the Chaos Knight. "What do you intend to do, Chaos Knight? Restore the Balance by destroying us all?"

            Cold golden eyes settled on the figure in red. "Destruction. Is that your answer to everything? Destroy it all? What happens when it's all gone? What will you do then? Look at the Balance, Knight of Shabranigdo. It takes those five to try and counterbalance you alone."

            The Knight of Shabranigdo looked smug. "That isn't my fault. If I recall, that stage was set a very long time ago."

            Sylphiel remained silent, watching the exchange. Something wasn't entirely right… and she knew that she had to do something to aid Kira… but what could she possibly do with the Seal in place…? She bowed her head and submitted to the Protector of Cepheid. _Please… think of something…!_

            Amelia sat up and stared. She and Zelgadis were quite suddenly by themselves on the ground before the Great Tree Flagoon. The princess looked around for the Mazoku and the Dragons, but saw nothing except empty sky and grassy land. It was disturbingly peaceful.

            "Amelia…? What… happened?" The chimera asked as he sat up and looked around.

            She turned to Zelgadis. "I don't know… I blacked out for a moment, and when I woke up… we were alone."

            A shadow flickered near the princess, and a whispery voice spoke. "Not alone. We are in a safe place. Chaos has Ascended. Lina's broken the barrier and she's trying to protect us."

            Zelgadis looked to the shadow. "Anya. No… Kira. What happened?"

            The shadow wavered, seeming to almost dissipate, but regained its shape quickly. "You deserve to know, so I will tell you. I only hope we have enough time."

            The days had gone quietly for the sorceress who had become Shabranigdo's right hand. She'd noticed only a slight difference in things, a token bit of darker magic added to her own. Her fireballs did a little more damage than they used to, and her curses stuck a little too well at times. But overall, nothing new had come of the new role she played.

            When she traveled, her shadow remained behind, giving the illusion that she was at home. It worked well, considering all that she had to do was ensure that the proper balance was held.

            Until someone came knocking on her door with an odd relic they had found in the back room of an older temple that was being renovated.

            It was an odd thing, a silver ring with a red stone. It was filthy, too, so Kira took it to her sink to clean it off so that she could look at it and identify it. She slipped it over the tip of her finger as the water hit it to keep it from falling into the drain when the living fragment of Shabranigdo within the ring awoke and caught her unprepared. The red stone lit from within, and a fire burst into life within Kira's mind, feeding on the link to Shabranidgo.

            She tried to rally against the fragment, but as she was now allied with Shabranigdo, she knew that to fight it too strongly would set the Balance spiraling into disaster, so she did what she could to protect herself – she linked with the shadow she'd created long before.

            And then she sent the shadow out to find Lina and warn her of the impending danger.

            Stunned silence fell on the two listening to the story. A fragment of Shabranigdo caught inside a ring overpowered Kira? It was too unreal. Amelia shook her head slowly. "But what can we do now? We're stuck here… somewhere…"

            "The ring must come off. If there is to be any hope of fixing things…" Kira began, but Zelgadis held up his hand.

            "And how would you have that happen, Kira? We're cut off from everyone and everything." The chimera's voice betrayed his irritation. "We don't even know if we'll survive this. What happens to us, to this pocket of reality, if something happens to Lina?"

            Silence fell as the sapphire gaze of the chimera focused on the shadow. "We can't do anything. But you said that you could fight the fragment of Shabranigdo within."

            Amelia looked at Zelgadis nervously. "But Kira said that to fight would unsettle the Balance…"

            Zelgadis refrained from snarling at the Princess, but even so, his voice held a level of irritation that Amelia had never heard before. "The Balance is thrown, Amelia! I don't think we have a chance of restoring it the way it was. But if we continue to let this unknown fragment run wild with Kira's power at its disposal, who says that we'll even have the Four Worlds to Balance again!?"

            Amelia hadn't thought of it that way. She didn't want to think of it that way. But, as usual, Zelgadis had seen the far deeper issue at hand. "Miss Kira… you have to go. You have to go regain control. Maybe the Balance can be found again…"

            The shadow that was Kira faltered for a moment, and then the whispery voice issued what could only have been a sigh. "I will try. But the words from so long ago… words that the Lord of Nightmares Herself gave me… Keep them in mind."

            Amelia tilted her head. "What did she say, Miss Kira?"

            "There will come a time when I will be needed to act in a capacity that cannot be done without the sacrifice of a human soul." The shadow whispered. "And she told me that I was not the one who would be the sacrifice."

            The golden sphere rose within Zelgadis' mind again, the sphere of power that had wrapped itself around Lina Inverse just a short time ago. Once again, it shattered within his mind's eye, and he was suddenly afraid of what those words might have meant. 


	14. Chaos Ascendant 13

Chaos Ascendant

Chapter 13

            It was, of course, a gamble.

            The strong mind within the fragile shadow was completely aware of that.

            She was also aware of the probability that she would not succeed, and that her efforts would very well be in vain.

            She was not to be the sacrifice for the Lord of Nightmares, but nothing had been said to imply that she wouldn't be the sacrifice for Shabranigdo.

            She needed to help. She needed to think, to do, to open her eyes and face the fact that as the Protector, she was failing. Nothing was answering her call, no-one was speaking quietly and telling her what to do. The gentle soul of Sylphiel felt a sinking feeling that she couldn't fight back. Despair began to settle in, and she could feel a hollow pit form in her stomach. The War would begin, and she couldn't do a thing about it.

            Except… wait, what was that? That subtle glow that she could see without her eyes? Something swirling around the Knight of Shabranigdo…

            The Protector raised her head, opening her eyes, and stalked across the distance between herself and the Knight of Shabranigdo. Something wasn't right. There was a smaller glint of power that was totally unrelated to the Knight's power. Instead, it felt like a glimmer of the same sense that had recently flowed around Lina Inverse. The Protector reached out, eyes still closed, extending her hand to touch the Knight.

            The Knight backed away from the Protector as Cepheid's agent moved towards her, and for a moment, those who were observing the two women thought that the War was about to begin.

            But golden eyes settled on the two, and lips parted, a command that neither could ignore issuing forth: "Attend."

            The Four Worlds stopped to listen.

            **What was held must now come forth, as shattered fragments meld.**

**            And what was Bound is now undone, the War unfought now won.**

            Chaos erupted.

            The very world around Zelgadis and Amelia suddenly began to shake, and suddenly, Zelgadis was convinced that this was no longer a Good Place to Be. His main concern, however, was how to get out of wherever they were. He turned to catch Amelia as she stumbled when the ground gave a particularly vicious shake, and she smiled in thanks.

            "Zelgadis! Amelia!" An old familiar voice broke across the chaos, and the two turned to see a very familiar and extremely welcome face.

            "Filia! How did you get here?" Zelgadis called out to the Golden Dragon as the woman ran towards them, long hair loose, tail poking out from behind her long pink skirt.

            "That's not important right now. We have to get you out of here!" She reached gloved hands out to the two, catching them up with both fingers and magic, pulling the three of them out of the rapidly collapsing world-bubble.

            They landed in the courtyard of what was immediately recognizable as Kuroryu, and Zelgadis looked up towards the sky, which held an eerie glow. "What's happening, Filia?"

            Filia looked up at the glow quietly, and then looked back to Amelia and Zelgadis with calm blue eyes. "The Seal has been broken. The War is at hand."

            Kira felt the Knight of Shabranigdo compelled by the Lord of Nightmares, and used that very opportunity to vie for control. If only she could get the ring off of her finger, she might stand a chance of fighting off the control of the fragment. But compelled as it was, her body wouldn't move.

            _Damn! If only I could get that ring off!_ She ranted, completely aware that she wasn't going to succeed, and the instant that the compulsion was gone, the Knight would be aware of her. She didn't know until a moment later that she could be heard.

**            Ring, **A mental voice echoed.

            Suddenly, the world around Kira's awareness shifted, and she blinked her eyes. Her eyes. Golden eyes blinked back, and the golden figure took several steps backwards, a silver ring held between two fingers.

**            So. This explains it. Very well, I understand. My apologies, Kira Inverse.**

            Kira blinked again. Xellos and Elena were flanking her, Sylphiel…no, the Protector looking at her, with the Cepheid Knight and the Warrior behind her. The stage for War was set, with one very strange addition.

            A child with flaxen hair was sitting on the ground, her white dress spilled all around her as she colored very carefully on a sheet of paper.

            The golden figure walked over and rested her hand on the girl's shoulder. "Cece, it's time."

            Wordlessly, the child nodded and put her coloring to the side, standing and turning to look at the assembled group.

            The golden figure that may or may not have been Lina put the ring on the floor and looked at it calmly. "And you as well, Bran."

            The ring shimmered, replaced by a boy with hair as dark as night. He was wearing solid black pants and jacket, a sharp and dark contrast to the girl who he obviously mirrored.

            The thought struck Kira. _They're siblings!_

            The golden figure nodded to Kira. **The Children of Chaos. Light and Dark, Order and Disorder. But now it is time. The rivalry must end, and you both must retake your places. You are not children, and it is time that you stopped behaving as such.**

            The two glared at each other, and then there was from each, a swirling of light and darkness, and two adults looked warily at each other.

            The woman smoothed the skirt of her white dress, golden blonde hair falling around her waist, and looked over to her brother, who was busy doing his best to straighten the sleeves of his jacket.

            Golden eyes glittered, and the golden figure folded her arms and looked expectantly at the two twins.

A musical voice lilted across the ears of the dumbstruck others. "I'm sorry that I said your tea tasted like you'd used the bottom of your shoes to brew it."

            Anger flared in the dark eyes of the man before he sighed, a voice as deep as night offering a counter. "And I'm sorry that I said your tea had to have been made from the rotten leaves of the Rithsa plant."

            The woman smiled faintly to the man, extending her hand. "Peace, Shabranigdo?"

            The man sighed and took her hand lightly. "Peace, Cepheid."

            Those who were watching collapsed at the revelation that the entire War had been over tea. Lina Inverse, however, was still standing only because Lina had gained the knowledge when she Ascended.


	15. Chaos Ascendant 14

Chaos Ascendant

Chapter 14

            When all was said and done, Aurin had gladly pronounced a celebratory festival to be held in Kuroryu. Elena had rolled her eyes and muttered something about him throwing far too many parties for her taste, but had eventually gone along with it.

            Slowly, guards were lowered, and after a while, it was back to Luna, Sylphiel, and Gourry instead of the Cepheid Knight, the Protector, and the Warrior. Kira never had been the Knight of Shabranigdo herself, and Xellos and Elena were almost adept at switching to their almost-normal selves.

            The only person who hadn't relaxed by the time everyone got to Kuroryu was Lina Inverse.

            Filia, Zelgadis, and Amelia were all waiting in the courtyard when the groups finally arrived, and grateful hugs were shared among a few when everyone was deemed safe. Filia burst into tears and simply refused to release Aurin until Elena gently reminded her that all of the hugging was making the Mazoku a little ill. As Filia was finally persuaded to release Aurin, Amelia's blue eyes wandered towards the woman who might possibly be Lina, and her eyes widened when she saw the two figures who flanked her.

            "Miss…" Amelia faltered. Was that Lina, or was that the Lord of Nightmares?

            The voice was so familiar, but there wasn't a trace of the normal emotion within it when the other spoke. "Let me introduce you. Amelia, Filia, Zelgadis, these are the Children of Chaos." 

The blonde woman moved forward to embrace Amelia and Filia, and to his chagrin, placed a gentle kiss on the blushing cheek of the chimera. Standing back, she smiled at the three of them. "I'm very pleased to meet you. I am Cepheid, though you may call me 'Cece.'"

Amelia didn't think she could be any more thunderstruck until the man walked forward, bowed curtly, and introduced himself as Shabranigdo. Cece helpfully interjected that she called him 'Bran' for short, and that they could as well, which earned her a dirty look from her brother.

When Amelia recovered, the two siblings from Hell were busy disagreeing over how much of a shock they had been. Cece seemed concerned that she'd overdone it, but Bran seemed certain that they were up to the challenge. After all, he should know. He'd fought them in battles.

            Zelgadis decided that his head hurt.

            An hour later, an impressive picnic feast was laid out in the courtyard, and people were mingling, chatting over plates laden with food. It felt as if War had never been a concern.

            The black-haired princess of Sailune looked over to the almost-unreal figure who insisted on people calling her 'Cece.' "Um… Miss Cece? I hate to ask this… but in all of the historical accounts, you're always referred to as… well, as a male."

            The silvery laugh echoed over the courtyard as Cece set her wine goblet to the side and smiled at Amelia. "Alas, Amelia, I discovered early on that I was more distracting than I should have been. And I have a terrible time holding even a dagger. I simply don't have the aptitude for fighting. So the figure that you most often see referenced is truly my Warrior. He has always been a man, though the Protector has not always been a woman."

            Amelia nodded, understanding the lack of ability to use a dagger. She'd seen enough blood to never ever wish to lay hands on a weapon of any kind. As she looked off, her gaze inadvertently focused on the red-haired figure clad in gold that sat quietly on the balcony above. It sank into her thoughts that if that was indeed Miss Lina, then something was drastically wrong. There wasn't even a plate or glass beside her, and that, Amelia knew, was completely unlike Lina Inverse.

            Cece's gaze followed Amelia's, and the soft pink lips lost their smile, a shadow of unhappiness clouding the clear blue eyes. "She needs time. She is not the Lord of Nightmares, as you fear. But she herself isn't certain who she is."

            Amelia sighed, and turned back to her food, picking at it for a moment before looking to Cece. "I just wish I could help. Lina's my friend… and well… she's like a sister to me… and I can't stand to lose another sister…"

            Cece smiled mysteriously. "Your sister is alive and well, Amelia. In fact, she's very close to Kuroryu right now. She doesn't know that you are here; she only knows that something she's been looking for is here. Why don't you go down to the South Gate and let her in?"

            Amelia blinked at her in confusion. "My… sister…? Gracia…? Here? How…?"

            Cece smiled to the princess. "I _am_ Cephied."

            Amelia leapt to her feet, running for the South Gate, all thoughts of food and revelry set aside. She was going to find her sister.

            Zelgadis had overheard, his chimera hearing far better than the hearing of the others he was standing near. As he watched the princess run off for the South Gate, he walked over to the woman in white and regarded her for a moment. "Thank you."

            Cece looked to the youth, tilting her head. "Why should you thank me for something I've done for someone else, Zelgadis?"

            He looked off towards Amelia's retreating form. "Finding her sister is something that's very important to Amelia. Now maybe that sadness will be healed. That is reason enough."

            Pink lips curled knowingly. "Ah… I see. You care for her." Laughter danced in her eyes as she saw the blush creep across the stone cheeks, and she stood, now-empty goblet in hand.

            "I… she…" Zelgadis stammered, looking back to Cece. "She is a friend… A princess who will look somewhere other than at a horrific stone-skinned chimera." The old familiar pain bubbled up, and he looked away, off towards a tree. "As much as I might like her, there is no place in her life for someone who looks as I do."

            A gentle finger touched his lips in a silencing gesture. "Beauty and love are more than skin deep, Zelgadis. Stop hating yourself. Your heart wishes for so many things that you deny yourself. I will give you a gift, but I will not change who and what you are."

            Even as the warmth of her touch filled him, his heart sank. She wouldn't cure him. Cepheid herself would deny him the one thing he desired the most. He closed his eyes and felt her walk away, hanging his head in defeat.


	16. Chaos Ascendant 15

Chaos Ascendant

Chapter 15

            She sat on the ledge of the balcony, watching the festivities. Things had worked out, in the end. Cepheid was unsealed, the Balance was far better than it had been hoped, and everyone had survived.

            But she couldn't go back to life as normal. She knew too much. She was too much. She'd lost too much of herself in the Ascension.

            Not quite Lina, not quite the Lord of Nightmares.

            Golden eyes watched the dark-haired princess run off towards the South Gate, towards the overzealous woman who waited without knowing who or what she was waiting for. That hadn't surprised her. She'd suspected that one's identity from the day Amelia had told her about her missing sister.

            She watched as Cepheid spoke softly to Zelgadis, agreeing silently with the woman in white. He wasn't nearly as pathetic as he thought himself, and the gift to him would be well received in time.

            Gourry happily stuffed his face as Aurin and Elena offered him every delicacy that Kuroryu had to offer, while Luna and Sylphiel sat nearby enjoying the fresh air and the sunlight.

            She saw the mayhem kicked up in the corner as Xellos and Shabranigdo played harmless pranks on Filia, mentally shaking her head as the pink-bowed tail poked out from under the long pink skirt.

            She'd had enough time to realize that Kira Inverse wasn't down with the others before a strong hand pushed her off of the balcony, causing her to collect magic around her before she fell. A flicker of anger flared, and she spun in the air to glare at her elder. "Explain yourself."

            Kira planted a foot on the lower ledge of the balcony, folded her arms, and looked at Lina. "You're sulking."

            Golden eyes narrowed. "What I am is none of your concern."

            "Like Hell, it's not my concern. Like it or not, _you_ are related to _me_. And I'm older than you are, so it's my job to be concerned," Kira shot back, causing many on the ground to look up at the two above. "What was sacrificed, Lina?"

            Silence fell as everyone who was within earshot of the question looked to the golden-clad figure hanging in midair.

            She looked away from the brilliant golden fire that waited to embrace her. Ascension. Part of her mortal soul would be baptized within that flame, never to be the same again. Part of herself would forever be bound to Chaos, as eternal as the passing of the days and nights.

            It was all or nothing. Should she turn from the flame, she would undoubtedly die along with the others in the resurgence of the War. And should she touch the flames, War might be averted, and she would live for untold millennia. 

            She had not chosen for her own sake. It had not occurred to her to choose for her own life. She'd made her choice because the others were involved. Because without her, they would die.

            She'd made the choice because she loved them.

            "I sacrificed myself. I gave myself away. I'm not Lina Inverse anymore. I can't be. I gave her up in order to Ascend." She whispered the words, looking quietly at Kira, unable to look away.

            "Then why are you here? Why are you upset about it? If you weren't Lina, what would keep you close to us? What would you want to do with us?" Kira retorted, fire flickering in her eyes. She pulled a slipper out of mid-air and threw it at the other redhead. "Don't you see? The sacrifice that you made was the choice. You chose to do for others and not for yourself. That was your sacrifice. You are still you. You didn't just bind yourself to Chaos. You've always been Chaos."

            It occurred to Lina that Kira was right. True, she had Ascended. And yes, she had given up herself in order to do so. But what she was given in return was far more than just herself. She had been given the power to fix things, the ability to restore it all and still be herself.

             And she'd just been caught wallowing in her own self-pity.

            She floated over to the balcony, landing beside Kira and regarding her for a moment. "So what happened to you?" 

A flicker of the old Lina Inverse glittered in those strange golden eyes, and Kira smiled faintly. "I made an error in judgement, and stuck my finger where I shouldn't have."

            A series of expressions flickered across the golden eyes, and then, at last, she began to laugh. It was a low, soft sound, and several of those who looked on from below had never heard her laugh like that. To them, it was a worrying sound, but Luna opened her pale lavender eyes and looked upwards. She knew that laugh, but she hadn't heard it since before their father died. The sometimes-waitress had little doubt that was her sister.

            The woman at the gate had yet to figure out how to open it. In fact, she was almost ready to throw a fireball at it and stalk off when it swung open seemingly on its own. Curiously, she peered into the archway, and most all sensible thoughts that she might have had came to a jumbled halt as she saw the small figure clad in white standing just inside the arch, looking to her with bright blue eyes.

            "Amelia?"

            She stared at the woman. Tall and scantily clad were two terms that came to mind as descriptives, but yes, it was undoubtedly her. She'd finally found Gracia. Bursting into tears, she dove headlong into her sister.

            Zelgadis watched from a distance as Gourry leaned into Lina and made a comment that resulted in a deep flushing of the redhead's pale cheek, and shook his head, hiding his smile. No, things would never be the same, but they were better, weren't they? He looked quietly at his fingers. He knew what Cepheid had given him, knew what it could mean, knew what it didn't mean, and smiled to himself. Call it an insane form of vanity, but maybe now that he didn't look like a monster…

            "I do not!" An indignant female voice burst through his train of thought, and he saw a slender blonde woman nose-to-nose with her mirror-imaged darker brother as they argued over something.

            "Do too," he retorted, and Zelgadis felt a familiar sinking in his stomach. The siblings from Hell were as different as night and day, and completely unable to get along for more than a few hours.

            He stood, heading over to the now-forming group, intent on helping resolve this particular argument before it began the Wars all over again.


End file.
